IBWA Fights San Francisco Proposal To Restrict Small-Package Water

TAGS: San Francisco bottled water ban, International Bottled Water Association, vending machine, water vending, PET water bottles

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The International Bottled Water Association is organizing opposition to a proposed law that would ban the sale of bottled water in 21-fl.oz. or smaller packages on city and county property. The legislation, now being considered by the San Francisco Land Use and Economic Development Committee, calls for the sales prohibition in parks, at large public events including concerts, and from mobile food trucks.

"The International Bottled Water Association opposes this bill and supports the rights of San Franciscans to choose clean, safe, healthy, refreshing, reliable and zero-calorie bottled water when making their beverage decisions," IBWA said. "Efforts to eliminate access to bottled water on San Francisco city or county property will force people to choose less healthy drink options, which have more packaging, more additives (e.g., sugar, caffeine) and greater environmental impact than bottled water."

What's more, the association pointed out, such a law would deny immune-compromised people access to small-package bottled water on city and county property, and would mean that a ready supply of safe water was not available during emergency situations that disrupt the municipal water supply.

All bottled water containers are 100% recyclable, IBWA explained, and PET water bottles use less plastic than most other packaged beverages. About 39% of them were recycled in 2011, up from less than half that percentage eight years earlier. "In addition, EPA figures demonstrate that plastic water bottles make up less than one-third of one percent of the U.S. waste stream," the association reported.